A twinge of sadness this Merdeka

LETTER | Last night my grandmother sat me down and told me her Merdeka story. She was squished between her mother and father as they gathered in at Merdeka Square. They stood in the darkness and the energy of the crowd was palpable. At the stroke of midnight, the lights were turned on. It was then that they witnessed the raising of the Malaysian national flag for the very first time.

“At that moment, all of us, the entire crowd, no, the entire nation, was one”

She tells the story, her eyes brimming with tears of nostalgia. I feel it too, her emotions and that feeling of pride and total unity she felt as she witnessed the beginning of an independent Malaysia, where the hopes and dreams for the future of our country were bright ideas flickering in the starry night skies.

This week is Merdeka Day - we are celebrating the 62nd year of the independence of Malaysia and we have come a hell of a long way. A democratic country with a booming economy and great international relations. We can look back on our progress and be proud.

But I cannot help feeling a twinge of sadness when I listen to my grandmother’s account of that momentous night. The kind of unity she felt, that oneness of all Malaysians regardless of ethnicity, race or religion. The kind of harmony inspired by Tunku’s speech on that night when he cried out:

“We must each always think first of Malaysia, of the national need and least of ourselves […] everyone must try to help and see that the people are one-minded, with loyalty and one aim, to make Malaysia — the land we love — a happy abode for all of us.”

Unity, that one ingredient that is so vital, is missing in our nation these days. It is no secret that over the years, our country has become increasingly polarised. A combination of the everlasting fear since the bloody 1969 riots, incessant political bickering, and using the race-card as a go-to when authorities wish to push a specific agenda. We are left with a Malaysia wherein citizens do not feel "Malaysian" but prefer to be seen as "Chinese Malaysian", "Indian Malaysian" or a "Malay Malaysian". How have we let this happen?

Like most national problems, the government ought to take the brunt of the blame. Over the years, the long-ruling Umno coalition loved to push positive discrimination for Malays, vying for the vote of the ethnic majority. All this did was to further the tensions between the races. Politicians pushed the idea of the Chinese "stealing" all the business, and the Indians focussing on drinking and petty crime, all in an effort to win the elections.

When Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his Pakatan Harapan coalition took over, they promised to stand for a more unified, multi-ethnic Malaysia that values all races. Yet, in reality, we have seen no movement towards this dream.

Mahathir walked back on his pledge to ratify a UN convention against racial discrimination after the Malay population threw a tantrum when they saw their "privileges" threatened. Just not long ago, the leader who promised to bring in a "new and improved" Malaysia called for all Malay politicians to join Bersatu and create a ‘United Super Malay Party’. 

If our new government is serious about promoting harmony among Malaysians, they are certainly going about it the wrong way.

We deserve a government that has the wisdom, the foresight, but mostly the guts to return us the united front we once were. But until then, it is up to every single one of us, from those in the cities of Kuala Lumpur to those in the rainforests of Borneo, to look beyond our religious and racial identities. To power through the temptations of the government to give into racial divides. To embrace one another in our patriotic identity and value our love for the country that birthed us.

I am not satisfied with tales; I want to be like my Tok (grandmother) and feel that vibrant energy of unity in our Malaysia of today. That is my hope as we celebrate another Independence Day in our beautiful homeland.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.